Guilt upon guilt
by aflyonthewall
Summary: This story is back from the brink of extinction.. Read to find out.
1. Default Chapter

CHAPTER ONE  
  
There was nowhere to go but down and the only way down was blocked by several thugs hungry for a fight. Of course there was always the alternative route of a free fall off of a 50-story building, which wasn't really the most popular of choices at the moment. Seeing the lack of escape route, the three mutants braced themselves for a fight.  
  
Brennan threw a bolt of electricity at a thug who was approaching menacingly sending him reeling to the base of the roof entrance. Shalimar was in a full on fight with another thug who was throwing fast and furious punches and kicks and keeping up amazingly well with his feral opponent.  
  
Jesse seeing two thugs coming from either side of him took a breath and phased as they attacked with their metal weapons, hitting each other in the process. Jesse took the opportunity to throw in an axe kick on one thug causing him to crumple to the floor unconscious and quickly massed as the other recovered enough to throw a punch at Jesse's solar plexus only to cry out in pain as the contact was met with the crushing of bones and he fell to his knees clutching his broken hand.  
  
Brennan wielding a metal bar of his own, was busy with two other agents and was striking blows and parrying attacks with the deft and quickness of a skilled martial artist.  
  
From the corner of his eye, Brennan saw a thug running full charge towards Jesse whose attention was fixed on another.  
  
"Jesse, watch out!" Brennan yelled as he quickly finished off his opponent with a fierce roundhouse kick to the head.  
  
Jesse turned and saw a figure coming at him at full speed and had no time to think as his reflexes took over and he quickly took a breath and found himself phasing to allow the thug to charge through.  
  
He was about to turn back to the opponent he had left unattended when a piercing scream grabbed his attention.  
  
Shalimar!! He thought as he turned around to see that the thug that had just charged through him had collided into Shalimar who apparently was having a fierce battle with another opponent behind him, causing the two to careen of the side of the 50-story building.  
  
From then on, Jesse was conscious of everything as if it was happening in slow motion. He heard Brennan yell Shalimar's name as he ran towards the side of the building at the same time sending a bolt of electricity flying through the air to hit the thug that was Shalimar's opponent, square in the chest and rendering him unconscious.  
  
Jesse massed and threw a punch at his opponent knocking him out instantly and quickly ran to join Brennan at the side of the building, with his heart at his throat as panic and dread threatened to choke him as he peered down the side of the building terrified at the sight that was to come into view.  
  
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"Shalimar??" Brennan yelled frantically as both he and Jesse peered over the side of the building. The crumpled body of the thug that had collided with Shalimar could be seen on the ground, albeit seeming rather small from the height and distance, a crowd already beginning to mill over the corpse.  
  
Shalimar however was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Shalimar??" Brennan yelled again relieved that Shalimar's body was not on the ground together with the thug but still in a panic as to where she could possibly be.  
  
"I'm here!" Brennan and Jesse heard her faint cry and ran along the side of the roof to get a clearer view of her location.  
  
Hanging precariously with one hand to what seemed like a flagpole fifteen stories down was Shalimar fighting hard to hold on for dear life. "Hurry!! I can't hold on much longer! She yelled, as a rack of pain tore through her arms and shoulders.  
  
"Hold on Shal! We're coming to get you! Just please hold on! Brennan yelled back as he took off to get to a closer floor to safe the feral. Jesse was right behind him.  
  
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The tension in the Audi was gripping as all three mutants rode home in silence. Brennan was attending to Shalimar who was clutching her arm in pain whilst Jesse drove the Audi silently back to Sanctuary.  
  
Brennan had not said a word to him since the incident. He didn't need to. The glare Brennan gave him as he was protectively hugging Shalimar just as they got her onto solid ground said all that he needed to know.  
  
Brennan was pissed and what was worst was that he was pissed with him.  
  
Jesse didn't blame him. He knew that even with her feral powers, a fall off of a 50-story building would have killed Shalimar.  
  
He couldn't bear to think of what might have happened if Shalimar had not had the reflexes to catch a hold of the pole. He closed his eyes trying to block out the thought but the image of the event was imbedded in his mind and replayed itself incessantly acting as a cruel reminder of what he had done. He knew, without a doubt, that Shalimar would surely have died and it would have been his fault His heart went heavy as an all too familiar guilt threatened to consume him.  
  
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	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO  
  
"There was no new mutant." Shalimar informed Adam as he did a scan on her injuries. "I think it was a trap. It was as if they knew we were coming."  
  
Adam considered what Shalimar said. He had heard of the new mutant on a scanner that he had on an open channel. It wasn't from his usual sources but he had asked the team to go check it out nevertheless. He shook his head thinking about it. "Setting a trap like that would have been a long shot. It was an open channel and anybody with a scanner could have picked it up. That's not how the GSA usually works, they're more innovative than that and they don't depend too much on chance."  
  
"That's another thing Adam. I don't think they were GSA agents. They're definitely not familiar and they're dressed way too casual than your average agent. Besides they didn't have mutant powers but they fought well. Like they've been trained or something." Shalimar explained. "What do you make of it? Do you suppose they're the group responsible for the sudden increase in mutant disappearance lately?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I'll ask around with my contacts and see whether they know of any non-mutant group operating underground."  
  
Adam continued with the scan on Shalimar at the same time thinking of what Shalimar had said. He hated mysteries and usually couldn't rest easy until it was solved. He did know of a group that was bent on ridding the world of mutants. They were dangerous and thought nothing of killing a mutant in cold blood. But their modus operandi didn't usually consist of an open attack in the middle of the day. And they usually attacked to kill. From what Shalimar informed him, the attack was not aimed at killing. Whoever and whatever they were, they wanted the mutants alive.  
  
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"What do you mean they got away? I've waited for a long time for Mutant X to fall for my little trap and you let them slip from my grasp. You morons!!"  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Xavier. They were just too good."  
  
"Well of course they're bloody good. They're Mutant X!!! Why do you think I put all of you to such vigorous training?!"  
  
"Sir." One renegade stepped forward, interrupting their leader's tirade. "I did manage to put a tracking device on their vehicle, sir."  
  
Xavier weighed the implications of that before he spoke. "If I know Adam Kane, he would probably have technology installed to detect any device planted on all vehicles coming into his secret hideout. That device is as good as gone."  
  
"Not this one." A voice interrupted from the doorway. All eyes turned to look at the beautiful woman who walked in "This one comes with a little bombing mechanism that melts the entire device making it part of the vehicle. So as far as any technology is concerned, no foreign substance would be present."  
  
Xavier smiled as he pulled his mutant girlfriend closer for a kiss. "I knew I could count on you darling."  
  
"There is a setback though." Lena said as she pulled back. The device would not be of much use around any technology that scrambles its signal. We lost the signal a couple of hours ago so from the looks of it, Sanctuary is impenetrable in that respect."  
  
Xavier frowned and started to speak. "But", Lena interrupted putting a finger to Xavier's lips seeing that he was about to voice a protest, "we would be able to pick up the signal again as soon as the vehicle is on the move. So though we might not find out where Sanctuary is.yet.We would be able to know when and where any member of Mutant X is out and about."  
  
Xavier's frown slowly turned into a smile.  
  
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Jesse was standing outside the med bay watching Adam treat Shalimar's injury. Shalimar had briefed Adam on what had happened and he couldn't bear to face Adam or Shalimar right now. He knew Adam would not have been angry outright. But his silent disapproval could sometimes be more deafening to Jesse than any angry words he could have directed at him. Jesse knew that that would be more than he could handle right know what with his own guilt in the forefront. He was however relieved to see Shalimar up and about, the prognosis of the injury being only some damaged ligaments to the shoulders that would heal in no time on the feral.  
  
He heard someone approaching and turned around to see Brennan walking purposefully towards him.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking!" Brennan asked, not bothering to keep his voice down, as he walked towards Jesse. You could have killed her! That was the stupidest move you could have made!"  
  
Not looking Brennan in the eye Jesse replied silently "I didn't realize she was behind me. It all happened so fast." Even to his ears it sounded lame.  
  
"What do you mean you didn't realize! We're your teammates. That's what teammates do. Watch each other's back! Not go and get them killed!!" Brennan's anger was escalating and he was by this time inching closer to Jesse.  
  
Adam and Shalimar's attention had been peaked. Even Emma who was in the kitchen came over to see what the commotion was about.  
  
"Wake up and smell the blood!" Brennan continued heatedly. "This isn't your precious little world anymore where every time you make a mistake you can run home to your rich parents and they would pat you on the back and everything would be okay. This is the real freaking deal. Real people, real problems where no amount of money is gonna make it go away. If you can't deal with that than maybe you shouldn't be out there risking your life and ours!!  
  
Jesse lifted his head to finally look up at Brennan. "You're right. Maybe I shouldn't" he replied and brushed past Brennan as he walked away.  
  
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	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE  
  
"Nice going Brennan." Shalimar said, her own anger surfacing after witnessing the clash. "Why the hell did you have to open your big mouth? You should know Jesse well enough to know that he would be the last person who wants to see any of us hurt. He made a mistake. It happens. Let it go. His own guilt on what happened would be punishment enough. He doesn't need anyone else to lay the guilt trip on him!"  
  
Brennan shook his head in disbelief. "Oh what? Now I'm the one getting the heat? Jesse almost kills one of us and he gets to walk away without so much as a slap on the wrist. Unbelievable!!"  
  
"Okay that's enough!" Adam cut in. "We've got enough enemies out there to worry about, rather than start turning on our own. Emma, go check on Jesse and make sure he's okay. The rest of you, just take some time to cool off."  
  
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Jesse rubbed his temples as he sat at the side of his bed, elbows on his knees trying to clear away images of the day's events that kept repeating itself in his head. Brennan's words had stung but what hurt the most was the heavy knowledge and acceptance that it wasn't far from the truth.  
  
Still massaging his temples, he slowly brought his head up, his eyes fixed on the photo frame on his dressing table. He winced as memories deeply buried began to resurface and images that only came in his dreams revisited in his now present wake. He closed his eyes as a barrage of old emotions threatened to overwhelm him. As the dull pounding in his head became overbearing he lurched to his feet and with a forceful swing of his arms sent all the contents of his dressing table crashing to the floor.  
  
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"Jesse." Emma quietly called out as she peered into Jesse's room through the door that was slightly ajar. She was taken aback at the sight that met her. An array of things were scattered on the floor.  
  
Noting Jesse's absence, Emma stepped in to look at the assortment of things only to narrowly avoid stepping on a picture frame near her feet. She bent down to retrieve the broken frame and to look at the picture that lay within.  
  
It was a picture of Jesse with both his parents. Jesse didn't have a lot of pictures of his family, well at least not that Emma was aware of and a sudden feeling of dread crept into her at the thought of the anger and turmoil that Jesse would have had to have been feeling to readily destroy what was thought to be such a treasured item.  
  
Quickly, she ran out of the room and headed to look for Jesse.  
  
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"Jesse, wait." Emma said as she rushed into the garage. "Where are you going?" she queried carefully, relieved to see that Jesse hadn't left.  
  
"Out of here." Jesse answered curtly. Not in the mood to entertain any questions.  
  
"Are you coming back?" she probed quietly putting a hand on Jesse's arm as he reached out to grab the keys to the Audi. The contact of skin between skin came with a sudden barrage of images and feelings invading Emma's mind and thoughts. She flinched at the intensity of the hurt she saw and felt in him. The depth of his pain was shocking and she stepped back reeling from the emotions.  
  
He didn't know the answer to that question. He had nowhere else to go but he knew he couldn't be here, at Sanctuary. Not now... not ever? His own mind questioned. He didn't know. He just knew he needed to get away. Without giving an answer, Jesse started the engine to the Audi and drove off wordlessly.  
  
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	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
Emma watched Jesse drive away long until the car was out of sight. She was still overwhelmed by the images and the emotions she got off of him. If she hadn't touched him and felt all that she felt and saw the images that she saw, she would have been more at ease with his departure. She would have still been concerned for his state and well-being, but certain of his return. She would have thought, just as Adam and the others would have thought that all he needed was just some breathing space, some time to put things into perspective, time to cool down.  
  
But now, Emma felt an unbearable dread. Jesse's pain was more than what the incident with Brennan and Shalimar called for. More than anything, she felt that the incident was just a trigger or an awakening of something that ran much deeper.  
  
Emma instinctively knew that it had to do with the images she saw as she touched him. But she couldn't make it out. They were fleeting images of a woman, more of a girl and the overwhelming sense of loss and of guilt. It didn't make sense. She shook her head trying to clear it of the images still lingering.  
  
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"Adam, I'm really worried about Jesse. I'm scared that he would do something rash." Emma said as she walked into the lab.  
  
"Look Emma, knowing Jesse, all he needs is just a little breathing space. It's understandable that he would be upset about the events of the day. More than anybody, he's always harder on himself. Just give him some time. He'll be fine." Adam said reassuringly as he looked up from his research.  
  
"I don't think so Adam. Not this time. Something's really wrong with him." Emma said pacing the floor as she began to explain to Adam the encounter she just had with Jesse, worry clearly evident from her voice.  
  
Adam heard Emma's story and remembered again the tone of quiet submission in Jesse's voice during his encounter with Brennan earlier.  
  
"What should we do?" Emma queried, interrupting Adam in his thoughts. "Should we go after him?"  
  
"No. Not yet." Adam said shaking his head. "I think he still needs time to clear his mind."  
  
Adam considered what Emma had said and the day's events. No doubt, the seeds of concern were beginning to grow but he knew Jesse longer than Emma. When things went wrong in Jesse's world, a little space and breathing room seemed to do wonders for the molecular. Besides, it would be crazy for Jesse to just take off like that. Sanctuary was his home, and had been for a good part of his life and Adam knew that his charge had no place else to go and no real friend or family to turn to. He had to belief that Jesse's departure was merely an attempt to get some breathing space.  
  
"If anything, his com-link is still active so we can constantly keep tabs on his whereabouts. If he doesn't come back by tomorrow, then we'll go after him". Adam continued decisively trying to reassure Emma against her worries.  
  
Emma wasn't convinced. Her feeling of dread was increasing by the moment but she accepted that, at the moment, it would probably do more harm than good to go after Jesse and drag him back to Sanctuary. Lost in her thoughts, she walked out of the lab leaving Adam to continue on his research into the renegade group that had attacked Mutant X that day.  
  
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"We've re-established a reading, sir." Xavier, sat up from his chair as the voice came through his intercom. "Good! Very good! Make sure you don't loose it." He said obviously please that they didn't have to wait very long.  
  
"Mr. Austin?" he called to his man who was standing in attention by the door. "I want you to send some of our best men out for this one. Oh and this time," he paused and looking at his man directly in his eyes, said ominously, "make sure, you don't fail..."  
  
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	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
Jesse had been driving around aimlessly, his mind lost in his thoughts.  
  
He had worked so hard to prove himself a dependable member of the team. He had learned to control his powers. It wasn't easy, but he had been determined to get a handle on it. He had hated it. Resented it even. But it was with the bitter understanding of the responsibility that his mutant ability brought that he had taken the opportunity offered to him to study his ability and harness it to be an asset instead of a liability.  
  
He had sharpened his fighting skills and improved enough to give Shalimar a run for her money. He had learned all he needed to learn in respect of computers and of Sanctuary's system and database. He was finally beginning to believe that he actually belonged. That he was what he was for a purpose and that he could use his mutant ability to actually do some good in this world.  
  
And now, one single incident had made all that hard work, all that effort come crashing down. All the dread, all the insecurities came rushing back. He shook his head at the irony of it all. The very thing that brought him to Sanctuary was the very thing that was driving him away.  
  
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Brennan had a lot of anger to work off. He went from one simulation to another easily defeating the hologram agents that attacked him.  
  
He couldn't get over what had happened that day. The sight of Shalimar falling off of that building made his blood run cold. He remembered again the complete horror he felt as he saw her fall and at the heart-wrenching realisation that death would have been the only possible outcome. He could not bear the thought and closed his eyes as he fought the vision away only to have a sharp hook land squarely on his jaw.  
  
Mustering up all his pent up anger he released a brutal attack of kicks and punches sending the attacking agents sprawling to the floor.  
  
Spent at the effort, Brennan reached over to switch off the simulation.  
  
It was impossible for him to put into words the relief he had felt when he saw Shalimar, still alive, albeit hanging on a pole for dear life. When he and Jesse had finally managed to get her on safe ground, he remembered taking in a deep breath unaware that he had been holding his own. As the fear and worry subsided, the feelings were replaced with anger. Anger at the person who caused it. At the very stupid mistake that made her fall. A mistake that almost killed her.  
  
Brennan shook his head, the anger still coursing through his veins. He just couldn't believe it. When they got back to Sanctuary and Adam was briefed of the incident, not a word was said to Jesse. No admonishment, no warning, not even a bloody lecture. Even Shalimar didn't have a bad word to say to Jesse. If it had been him that had done something stupid like that, not that he would, but if he had, he was pretty darn sure he would have gotten an earful. But when golden boy does it, everyone just turns a blind eye and acts as if nothing had happened.  
  
He didn't get it. From his experiences he knew enough that sheltering someone from the harsh realities of life wasn't the right way to go. It wasn't healthy. It made a person weak. Especially in a team which dealt with life and death situation, the last thing they needed was a weak link.  
  
He caught himself thinking again of something he probably wouldn't if not for his anger having full control of his emotions. He wandered whether he was being too harsh. It occurred to him then that he would probably not have been this angry if the person who fell of the building was someone else other than Shalimar.  
  
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	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX  
  
Jesse looked around him as he turned off the engine to the Audi. His heart went heavy and he swallowed at the realisation of where he had driven. He slowly got out of the car and walked to the large sign at the entrance that said 'Mansfield Public Cemetery'.  
  
He hadn't been here a while. The last time he came was with his parents before their separation. Even then he didn't want to come. But his parents had made him. It was a painful experience. To come here meant that he had accepted it. Accepted her death. He couldn't do that. It had been easier staying away. Easier to forget that it ever happened. Easier to forget that he ever had a sister.  
  
He had never talked about her. Not with anyone. Not even with Shalimar or Adam. Although he suspected that Adam knew, as he usually checks the background of the people around him. He was grateful though that Adam never asked him about her. As far as the rest of his teammates were concerned, he had told everyone that he was an only child. It was the truth after all.  
  
Now as dusk began to set in, he thought again about what had brought him to this place. This place that he had kept in the far reaches of his mind, deeply buried beneath all his memories. It was time. Time to say the things he needed to say. For so long he had kept it inside of him. He had avoided thinking about it even. He had tried to forget. But today something happened that struck close to home. That awakened the need that he thought was too deeply buried for him to bring forth. More than anything, he needed to do this. He needed to say he was sorry.  
  
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"Eleanor A. Kilmartin" the words inscribed on the tombstone jumped up at Jesse as he walked towards her grave.  
  
It had been so long and he had worked so hard to repress the memories. The memories of her and of her death. And yet, seeing her tombstone, her grave, the place she was buried, drove him back to where he didn't want to be. To the reality that he did not want to face, to feelings that he did not want to deal with and to a world where he lived and she didn't.  
  
He closed his eyes as he sank to his knees and for the first time since her death, allowed the painful memories of what happened that fateful day, to re-live in his mind.  
  
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Emma was restless. She was worried. She felt she needed to do something to help Jesse but didn't know what. Finally after almost pacing the rec-room floor ragged and driving Shalimar crazy, she had retired to her room and slumped down on her bed. It was still early and she knew very well that there was no way she would be able to sleep.  
  
No longer able to do nothing, she sat up and crossed her legs as she closed her eyes trying to reach Jesse with her mind, wherever he may be.  
  
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Emma's eyes flew open as she looked around and saw that instead of her room she was in the driveway of a huge house and headed towards her were two people in their teens laughing and talking as they walked.  
  
"I'm hungry" the younger boy said as he walked past Emma oblivious to her presence. "You're always hungry" said the girl as she playfully punched him on the arm.  
  
"Do you suppose Maria prepared lunch for us today?" the boy asked. He was young, about thirteen or so, Emma guessed, and he looked oddly familiar.  
  
"Fat chance. It's Wednesday. We never have lunch at home on Wednesday. You always have basketball practice today and I always stay back to drive you home. Cos that's just the kinda sister I am." The older girl added as she fondly ruffled the blond hair of her younger brother. She was pretty with stunning blue eyes and looked to be about sixteen.  
  
"Well it's not my fault they cancelled practiced." The boy said smoothing down his hair as he glared at his sister with mock annoyance. By this time, they had reached the back door to the house which led to the kitchen and the girl reached in her knapsack for the house keys.  
  
"What time are Mum and Dad coming home, Ellie?" The boy asked as they entered the house.  
  
'Ellie'. The girl's name was Ellie. Emma had seen her before. She searched her mind for the memory but for now, it eluded her. Emma followed them in the house curious to know more as to whom these people were.  
  
"I don't know. Mum's got her charity lunch at the club today and Dad will probably be working late, as usual. Oh and I forgot, Maria took the day off cause her mother's sick. Looks like it's just you and me kid." She said tossing her knapsack on the kitchen counter and going to the fridge to inspect its contents for anything edible that could pass for lunch.  
  
"Let's see. There's a tuna sandwich. Still edible, I think." Ellie said as she looked up from the fridge and turned to her brother questioningly. Sitting on a nearby stool and with both hands cupping his chin, he made a face as he shook his head.  
  
"No? How about, yesterday's leftover casserole?" She queried again and sighed as her brother rolled his eyes as he shook his head.  
  
"Oh man, you're not an easy guy to please Jesse Kilmartin!" Ellie said bending down again to look back in the fridge.  
  
Emma felt like she was frozen to her spot. Jesse! It was Jesse! No wonder he had looked so familiar. Emma took a good look again at the boy before her. His eyes shining of innocent youth. His face clear of all worries and his aura radiating of happiness and exuberance. Emma thought of how different this Jesse was from the Jesse she knew.  
  
"Well then there's nothing else in here that you can eat." Ellie said straightening up as she finished rummaging through the fridge. "It looks like I'm gonna have to whip you something up myself. You'll have to wait though. I gotta go up and change first" she said leaving the kitchen, smiling as she heard Jesse groan in the background.  
  
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Emma was confused at what she was seeing. Was she in Jesse's dream? Who was Ellie? Jesse didn't have a sister? She closed her eyes to recall a memory that was lingering on the surface of her mind. Ellie. She'd seen her before. And then it came to her. The images. The ones she saw when she had touched Jesse in the garage. That was her. That was Ellie!  
  
A piercing scream broke the silence around her. Startled, she opened her eyes to see that Jesse was already running full speed towards the scream. Following suit, she saw with horror in her eyes as a man wearing a ski mask pointed a gleaming gun at Ellie.  
  
"ELLIE!!" she heard Jesse yell as he ran towards his sister.  
  
Emma instinctively tried to throw a psionic blast at the intruder but foolishly realized where she was. Standing there helpless, she watched as the events unfolded before her eyes.  
  
Jesse, eyes filled with terror and wild panic, ran as fast as his legs could take him to where Ellie stood rooted and without so much as a second thought flung his young body in front of his sister's protectively just as the intruder pulled the trigger, before he made his escape.  
  
Jesse instinctively held his breath as he braced himself for the impact of the shot.  
  
The impact never came. Instead, he watched with complete and utter horror as the bullet ran right through his phased form. He heard a blood curdling scream as the bullet found its target followed by a sickening thud as Ellie fell to the floor.  
  
NOOOOOO!!! He heard himself scream as he dropped to his knees beside his fallen sister. Ellie lay gasping for breath as blood began to pool around her. "Jes.Jesse" she said as she gathered enough effort to lift her arm to touch Jesse's face. "Wh. why..d..did yu..you .?" her sentence remained unfinished as she struggled to remain conscious as her vision blurred and a searing pain swept through her body.  
  
"Ellie." Jesse whispered as tears streamed down his young face that was now streaked with a trail of blood left by Ellie's touch. Shaking uncontrollably, Jesse lifted Ellie's head into his arms. "Please Ellie! Please don't die. I.I didn't mean to.." He sobbed as he cradled Ellie's head and softly stroked her blood soaked hair.  
  
Ellie let out a soft moan as she tried desperately to form words in her mouth but her effort was met with an unbelievable pain which racked through her body and left her gasping for air. She barely felt Jesse's hands on her chest as he desperately tried to stop the flow of blood gushing from her wound.  
  
With her own heart bleeding, Emma watched the scene and the unforgettable look of helplessness and anguish in the face of the boy before her as blood seeped through his young fingers and as his sister's life slowly ebbed from her body. 


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
He remembered holding her that day. Rocking her lifeless body back and forth for what seemed like eternity. He didn't know what time it was when they finally found them like that. He didn't care. His sister, his whole life, the one person that understood him and accepted him for what he was, was dead and it was by his doing.  
  
Fresh tears started streaming down his face. It surprised him. He hadn't cried for a while now. He didn't know he still had tears to shed but no matter how he tried to push back the memories of that day to the far reaches of his mind, the constant heaviness in his heart and the guilt he still carried served as a painful reminder of that day. More than a decade had passed and the pain of it sliced through him as deep and as painful as if it had happened yesterday. He raised a hand to wipe the tears from his face.  
  
Swallowing down a sob that threatened to surface, he took off his com-ring and fingered it in his hands. The lifeline that had kept him going when there was no place else he wanted to go. At a time when he felt that he would serve no purpose in the world, Adam and Mutant X had come to his life. His one chance at redemption, a chance to right a wrong. He knew that nothing would bring Ellie back but he desperately needed to believe that he could do good in the world. Now his greatest fear had come true. It had finally caught up with him and he couldn't run away from it.  
  
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Sanctuary - Morning Emma awoke with a start. She looked around her a little confused and found that she was in her bedroom.  
  
Jesse! She gasped as she suddenly remembered the events of the night before. The experience had left her drained and she remembered crying herself to sleep after she broke the connection, the events replaying itself in her mind.  
  
The look on his young face as he had held her. It was heartbreaking. He had been so young! She thought. And in one instant his youthful innocence had been so cruelly taken away from him.  
  
At that age Emma didn't know how far he had control over his mutant abilities but from what she saw in his determined face as he stepped in front of his sister, she knew he had not meant to stop the bullet. He had meant to take it. To save his sister's life, he was willing to give his own. The ultimate sacrifice and a choice he had made without so much as a second thought. A testament of his love for his sister, a testament of the boy he was and the man he would be.  
  
Emma doubted he even knew massing would have stopped the bullet that took his sister's life. She didn't even think that Jesse knew that holding his breath would trigger his ability. Her heart was overtaken with sadness at the way he had to find out.  
  
Emma understood now. His reluctance to use his mutant ability, his fear of hurting somebody with it, his closeness to Shal and his guilt over her fall.  
  
Sadness crept over her as she thought of the many times Jesse had stepped in front of a person to act as a human shield. What a cruel punishment it must be that the very thing that brought him so much pain, would be the very thing that became his destiny. And yet he did it. Over and over again, determined in his quest to save a life and .to right a wrong maybe...  
  
A loud commotion from outside startled her from her thoughts and she scrambled to her feet to find out what it was all about.  
  
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"Oh my god Adam. Jesse!" Shalimar exclaimed as she saw the news report on the screen. The report was of a horrific accident in the outskirts of town where a car had careened off of a deep ravine. The car, which was reported to be a make of an Audi, apparently had exploded upon impact. There was no way to tell whether there were any fatalities as yet but authorities were still investigating.  
  
"He, he didn't come home last night. You don't think."  
  
"Shalimar. Lets not get away with ourselves. It could be any other car." Emma heard Adam trying to appease Shalimar whose worry was turning to what closely resembled panic.  
  
Emma entered the room just as Shalimar rushed to the nearest computer screen. "I'll check for a signal on the Audi's transmitter" she said quickly as she typed in some commands on the computer. Shalimar had had a bad feeling since the night before and had been unable to sleep all night. She swallowed hard when she found that the Audi was transmitting no signals.  
  
"What's going on?" Brennan asked as he sauntered into the room obviously having just woken up.  
  
"Check for the latest reading on where the signal came from. I know the Audi's transmitter was on last night because I checked it before I went to bed." Adam said ignoring Brennan, as he himself was beginning to worry.  
  
Shalimar gave a loud gasp as she looked at the screen she just pulled up. "What is it Shalimar?" Emma ventured worriedly. "It's the Audi," Shalimar said as she looked up pale faced, her eyes filled with fear and dread. "The last transmission.its.its from the same place where the accident occurred!"  
  
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Emma felt dazed. No! It couldn't be!  
  
Brennan who had come up to speed with what was going-on, broke the silence of the room. "What about his com-link? Is it still active?"  
  
Adam quickly recovered and spoke into his com-ring. "Jesse? Are you there?" Silence. "Jesse?" He tried again. "Can you hear me?" The entire room waited with baited breath. . No answer. "Damnit Jesse!" Adam yelled, his frustration uncharacteristically taking over him. He turned to the computer screen and harshly typed in some commands.  
  
"Wait a minute. The last reading from his com-link is about fifteen miles away from the accident site." he said as he looked up a glimmer of hope in his eyes.  
  
"Alright." Adam said all business again. "Shalimar, you and I will go check the accident site. Emma and Brennan, you go the location of the last reading of his com-ring. Keep in touch at all times and let's not think the worse." Adam added firmly as he got up and exited the room with the others in tow.  
  
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"We're glad you came, Mr. Kane, we got a badly burnt partial plate from the crash and we've been trying to track down the registration" said the officer at the accident site, as Adam and Shalimar finished introducing themselves.  
  
"Have you found anything yet?" Adam asked anxiously, as he and Shalimar, stood behind the yellow tape of the police trying to peer down the ravine at the accident wreck.  
  
"No sir. The deep ravine is delaying all rescue and extraction work. We couldn't get a chopper down because of the strong winds and the nearby cliffs, so we had to send our people and equipment down by rope. So far there doesn't seem to be any sign of a body but with an explosion like that it's really difficult to tell without further investigation of the wreckage."  
  
Shalimar, who had been clutching Adam tightly by the arm, finally spoke "How did it happen?"  
  
"I can't answer that question yet mam, it's impossible to tell from the wreckage whether there was anything wrong with the car, but we did check the parameters surrounding the accident site as well as on the road before the car fell down the ravine. So far, we've found that the ground prints indicate that there was nothing wrong with the tires of the vehicle."  
  
Shalimar saw the officer frowned as he looked down at his notes as he continued. "Unlike most accidents of this kind, we also didn't find any skid marks to indicate speeding or something wrong with the brakes of the vehicle or even that any other vehicle was involved. But again, these are only preliminary findings. We shall keep you informed as soon as we find out anything else," he added as he excused himself leaving Shalimar and Adam peering down at the wreckage.  
  
Shalimar felt Adam's arms around her, holding her tightly, as if sensing the inexplicable feeling of dread that filled her to the very core.  
  
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"It's somewhere in this area", Emma said to Brennan as she read the reading on the mobile transmitter, that was linked to their com-ring. Brennan stopped the car at the side of the road looking around the area. "Yeah, but where?" he asked as he and Emma got out of the car to look around them.  
  
"Oh my god" Emma exclaimed softly. "I think I know. Come with me" she said to Brennan as she led the way across the street through the entrance of the public cemetery.  
  
"Why would Jesse come here?" Brennan asked curiously as he looked at the headstones around him.  
  
"Eleanor A. Kilmartin" Emma read, as her heart skipped a beat. If there was any doubt as to what she had seen yesterday, it was gone now. This was Ellie's grave.  
  
From the crazy reading of the transmitter in her hand, she knew that Jesse had been here.  
  
"This is it." Emma said quietly to Brennan as he came over to her.  
  
Reading the headstone, Brennan asked "Whose .?"  
  
"His sister" Emma answered before he could even finish his question.  
  
"Jesse has a sister?" Brennan asked in surprise.  
  
"Had" Emma corrected him silently as she knelt down beside the grave.  
  
Swallowing down a sudden lump her throat, she picked up Jesse's com-ring that was sitting neatly at the base of the headstone. 


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
Back at Sanctuary.  
  
"Did anyone know Jesse had a sister?" Brennan asked, as the remaining members of the Mutant X team regrouped at Sanctuary upon their return from their respective assignment. Everyone was in a quiet and pensive mood, each harbouring his/her own thoughts and fears.  
  
"I knew." Adam answered quietly, "But not from Jesse". "Her death was in the news more than a decade or so ago. It was quite a tragedy."  
  
"What happened?" Shalimar queried, still shocked to hear that Jesse had a sister that she didn't even know exist.  
  
"Well, the reports said that Jesse and his sister came home unexpectedly and interrupted a robbery that was in progress. Eleanor, that's his sister, was shot by the robber whilst he was making his getaway."  
  
"What about Jesse?" Shalimar asked.  
  
"He was fine. He wasn't hurt or anything, but he witnessed it all. They said that when they were found, Jesse was cradling Eleanor in his arms. She had been dead for a while by then. They practically had to pry him away from her."  
  
"Oh my god" Shalimar said as she thought of what Jesse must have gone through. She couldn't believe that such a tragedy had happened to him. She had known him for so long and finding out something like this made her feel like she didn't know him at all.  
  
"Did the reports say anything on exactly how it happened?" Emma who had been unusually quiet, interjected.  
  
"It was just a normal shooting. Well that's what the reports said anyway." Adam answered frowning. "What do you mean?" he asked sensing that Emma's question was going to a particular direction.  
  
"Nothing." Emma answered non-committal, getting a curious glance from Adam before he continued. "Anyway, that's all I knew about the fact that he ever had a sister. When Jesse first joined, I did ask routine questions about family and friends, but he never mentioned Eleanor. He was still young and I didn't want to press. But I think the tragedy took a toll on him and his family. His parents divorced a few years later. Rumour had it that Jesse's mom blamed Noah for the incident. Apparently, the reason for the break in was to steal some important document, Noah kept in the safe in his study. That was the only thing reported to be missing from the house."  
  
Emma winced inwardly at Adam's account of the divorce. Knowing Jesse, he was probably feeling guilty about that too. He had kept the incident about what exactly had happened at Eleanor's shooting to himself and had silently carried the guilt upon his shoulders.  
  
"Well we can't just sit here and do nothing". Shalimar said as she abruptly got up. "Jesse could be in trouble. He could be injured somewhere, or somebody could have taken him. He needs us right now and."  
  
"Shal" Adam interrupted softly putting her hands on her shoulder to calm her down.  
  
"We'll achieve nothing by panicking". He said looking into her fear filled eyes. "But you're right. We can't just do nothing while we wait for the accident report. We don't know what happened for sure but the longer we wait, the more trouble he could be in."  
  
"Whoa, wait a minute." Brennan interjected. He hated having to be the one to say it out loud but everyone else seemed determined to ignore the facts laid out before them. "Is it just me or does no one else sees what the evidence seems to point towards?" He said looking around waiting for a response.  
  
"Oh come on." he said as none came. "Everything seems to point towards it. I'm not saying that it's true but the evidence we've gathered so far appears to indicate that this was no accident and that Jesse drove off that ."  
  
"Don't" Shalimar said silently. "Don't even go there." A note of warning evident in her tone.  
  
"Look, I'm just putting things into perspective. Jesse obviously wasn't in the right frame of mind ."  
  
"Yeah no thanks to you." Shalimar said giving Brennan a glare not that much different from the glare Brennan himself had given Jesse after Shalimar's fall.  
  
Brennan looked away shaking his head slowly. He sensed Shalimar's anger and frustration about the whole situation and he knew that because of what happened last night with Jesse, he would most likely be the target. He couldn't figure it out but things really had a way of screwing up when it came to him and Shalimar.  
  
"Look whatever I said to Jesse, were things he needed to hear. They may have been harsh but they were not something that would cause him to drive off a ." Brennan replied trying to sound reasonable.  
  
"Oh please!" Shalimar interrupted barely containing her fast growing anger. "You've been on his case since day one. Every opportunity you got you reminded him of his silver spoon upbringing and throwing it in his face. You're always giving him a hard time." Shalimar said pressing on, needing to vent her anger and forget her deeply confounded fear for Jesse. Brennan had contributed to this and he was saying things she didn't want to hear and that made him a good a target as any.  
  
"Look, sometimes people need somebody to be hard on them. You know, tough love and all. Nobody here seems to be willing to give it so I might as well step up to the plate." Brennan answered sounding a little more indignant than he intended. He didn't know what it was but an angry Shalimar had this way of knocking any sense of reasonableness from him. Just the slightest of provocation could drive him off the wall and this time was no different.  
  
"Hell if I waited around for people to cut me some slack I'd probably be dead by now" Brennan added unable to resist the incense and full blown indignance that settled itself firmly in his system.  
  
"Look, you don't know Jesse like I do. He doesn't need anybody to give him a hard time to learn life's lessons." Shalimar answered eyes gleaming with anger.  
  
"Oh yeah." Brennan countered as a pang of jealousy made its way into his system. "Like you knew him that well. You didn't even know he had a sister!" Immediately after he said it, he knew he had gone too far. It was a low blow and Shalimar didn't deserve that. The pain in her glistening eyes was heart wrenching and he wished he could take it back.  
  
"He's not dead. I know he's not." Shalimar said softly the fire inside her vanishing as quickly as it came. A single tear fell down her cheek. "Maybe I don't know everything there is to know about Jesse" she said unable to hide the hurt she felt by Brennan's words, "but I know one thing. He wouldn't drive off that cliff. He's not a quitter." Shalimar continued, swallowing as she heard herself say the words, and hearing the hope in it overshadowing the conviction she had.  
  
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Be patient. I'll get too Jesse soon. In the mean time your reviews would really help me along. Thanks ( 


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE  
  
Jesse slowly opened his eyes, wincing in pain as he adjusted to the light. His body felt numb all over. He tried to raise his arm to cradle his aching head but found that they were handcuffed securely behind him. With supreme effort, he slowly lifted his head to look at his surroundings.  
  
He was in a large metal cage in the middle of what seemed to be a warehouse. There was a guard standing right outside his cage with his back to Jesse. Several people armed with weapons were also walking around the warehouse.  
  
Jesse muffled a groan as he tried to get up on his elbow to get a better look, careful not to get the attention of the guard.  
  
He didn't really remember what had happened to bring him to this place. All he remembered was being at the cemetery at Ellie's grave. He had been completely lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realize footsteps approaching until it was too late. He had turned around to feel a sharp stinging pain to his neck and after that he had no recollection of what had happened.  
  
From his captivity and his surroundings he knew that whatever did happen, it couldn't be good. What he did know was that he needed to get out. And soon. Now if only his body would cooperate with him.  
  
Finally up on his elbow, he slowly took a breath to phase the binds from his hands..Nothing happened. Thinking that his body must still be fighting the effects of whatever drug he had been given, he counted to ten and took a deep breath to try again.still nothing.  
  
Jesse was beginning to feel a sense of panic. He tried to mass instead but again nothing happened. By this time he was almost to a sitting position, adrenaline beginning to pump as panic set in full impact. No! Not now. It couldn't fail him now! He needed to get out. He didn't know what was happening. He just couldn't phase.or mass for that matter. Breathing heavily, he looked around him nervously as the panic slowly turned to fear.  
  
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Mr. Kilmartin!! A pleasure to have you finally join us! A booming voice came from behind him startling Jesse.  
  
Jesse's head snapped around to where the voice came from. He immediately regretted the sudden movement as he clenched his teeth to the sharp wave of pain that traveled through his upper body.  
  
"Oh and a . don't even bother to try do your little rock boy and ghost guy routine." Xavier continued as he approached Jesse's cage. "It's not going to work." Xavier said matter of fact, as he gave a wry smile and a tilt of his head to his prized catch obviously pleased at how the day was turning out.  
  
"What did you do to me?" Jesse said through gritted teeth, his eyes never leaving that of his captor.  
  
"Oh, that. No worries, just a little injection of our special homemade serum that would render your mutant abilities useless for a good twelve hours or so" Xavier said almost gleefully. "And you can bet we got a lot of where that came from. Thanks to our resident genius here, the lovely Ms. Lena" Xavier added as he put his arms around Lena, who was standing next to him.  
  
"So how does it feel to be normal, Mr. Kilmartin?"  
  
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"What do you want from me?" Jesse said angrily.  
  
"Hmm,.where to start?" Xavier said as he deliberately paced the floor outside Jesse's cage tapping his chin with his index finger as a mock show of being deep in contemplation.  
  
"How about.do you have any idea how valuable you are, Mr. Kilmartin?" Xavier said turning his head questioningly at Jesse. ".and not just you, all you mutants for that matter." He continued without waiting for an answer. "You mutants are, for lack of a better word, freaks of nature. You're the product of man, technology and god combined. You can do things that we humans can only dream of. And that, Mr. Kilmartin makes you and all your mutant kind a valuable commodity."  
  
"You have no idea of what the market is out there for mutants like you." Xavier continued. "People are willing to pay good money, for your kind. From researchers, to scientists, to government agencies even, and renegade groups, private corporations and individuals. The list goes on." Xavier shrugged as he continued. "I don't question their reasons, I just give them what they want, for the right price, of course."  
  
"So you're the one behind the recent incline in the disappearance of new mutants" Jesse said taking in Xavier's account. "So what?" he continued after a while, "now you want to sell me off to some buyer? Is that it?"  
  
"Ho, no, no, no, no, Mr. Kilmartin" Xavier said shaking his head. "On the contrary. I'm not going to sell you off. Well.not yet anyway. You see, the problem I have now, is that my demand for mutants outweighs my supply by way too much. So you, Mr. Kilmartin, are here to help me resolve that problem."  
  
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked slowly, almost afraid to hear the answer to the question.  
  
"Well, for a start, I know Mutant X takes care of some of these mutants in what you call your safe-houses. I also know you have a database of new mutants which I would love to get my hands on." Xavier said as he walked towards the cage, bending down as he peered at Jesse through the metal fence around the cage. "You, Mr. Kilmartin, will tell me what I need to know to ensure that I always have a ready supply of mutants to meet my client's demands."  
  
"And what makes you think I will tell you anything?" Jesse asked incredulously.  
  
"Oh, I don't think you will, Mr. Kilmartin, I KNOW you will," Xavier answered with a spine tingling evil laugh that made Jesse's skin crawl. 


	10. Chapter 10

Author's notes: I am sooo sorry for the delay. No excuses, my fault entirely. For those who just started reading this story, this is set sometime in the first season, when Emma was still around. Thanks for your patience and I hope you guys like it.  
  
CHAPTER TEN  
  
Sanctuary  
  
"Look, Shalimar, I didn't mean to, I wasn't trying to... I'm sorry." Brennan said looking at the floor fumbling over his words feeling guilty at the hurt he caused Shalimar.  
  
Shalimar was the last person, he wanted to hurt, but somehow, it always ended up with them arguing and more often then not, it had something to do with Jesse.  
  
"I didn't mean to imply that he did drive off that cliff." Brennan said, hating himself at that moment for again falling prey to his feelings of jealousy and hurting Shalimar in the process. "I just... I was just saying that if we want to solve this we have to look at every possibility, at every angle. I mean somebody could have very well taken extreme measures to make it look like he did just that."  
  
"Brennan's right. But there's no sense in our trying to speculate without more information." Adam said finally interjecting, harboring his own thoughts and fears with regards to the disappearance, his conversation with Emma the previous night replaying in his head. "We can't just sit here and wait for the report of the investigation of the accident. If technology and tracking devices won't help we'll use something else." Adam said turning towards the psionic who was sitting with an empty gaze towards the floor. "Emma", he said bringing her gaze up to his face. "I want you to try to see whether you can get a connection to Jesse."  
  
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Warehouse  
  
"Get the prisoner out." Xavier said to his men. Jesse's heart skipped a beat as he heard the order. He knew there was no way he could get away from this but found himself crouching to the very corner of his cage nevertheless. A futile effort against the rough hands that came to grab him.  
  
Deep in his heart he knew that struggling would have been a waste of his energy but he could not let himself be taken without putting up a fight. Despite his struggles, he was dragged out of his cage and thrown unceremoniously on the floor of the warehouse falling flat on his face unable to stop the fall with his hands that were still handcuffed behind him.  
  
From where he was he could see feet all around him. Circling him. He swallowed dreading what was to happen next. He knew they weren't going to kill him, well not yet anyway. But what did they intend to do? They wanted him to give them information about new mutants and there was no way he was going to comply. Even if they had to beat it out of him. He would not tell them anything. Not where it would mean condemning a mutant to a fate worst them death. He wouldn't. He couldn't be responsible for that.  
  
All of sudden he was grabbed roughly from behind by two men who forcefully brought him up on his knees.  
  
"Well, Mr. Kilmartin, how do we want to do this?" Xavier asked looking down at his prisoner. Will you tell me what I need to know or will we have to get it out the hard way?"  
  
"You'll get nothing from me". Jesse spat out glaring at Xavier with eyes filled with pure hatred belying the fear he felt inside.  
  
"How unfortunate" Xavier said with a mock sigh. "The hard way it is then. Lena, if you please."  
  
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Jesse struggled in vain against his captors as he watched Lena walk slowly and purposefully towards him. He could almost hear his heartbeat pounding in his head as panic settled firmly within him at the uncertainty of what was to happen. His eyes darted nervously around looking for a possible way of escape and finding none.  
  
He flinched at the feel of Lena's cold hands at the side of his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. What happened next was beyond anything he could ever imagined. His body jerked backwards as he felt a strong force entering his mind.  
  
The pain was unbearable and he opened his mouth to let out a silent scream. It felt like a million tiny bombs were exploding in his head forcing its way through each corner and crevice of his mind and his body shuddered uncontrollably against the arms that held him. He had no power to stop the invasion and could do nothing but allow its painful intrusion.  
  
All of sudden he felt another presence but the feeling quickly diminished as he was immediately overtaken with a fresh wave of pain as the invisible force invaded his mind with more power and vigour and this time his screams of pain echoed throughout the warehouse.  
  
His sight blurred against the pain, but despite his distorted vision, he saw with horror what was unmistakable strings and strings of data flowing rapidly against the blackness of Lena's eyes.  
  
With a last shudder of his body, Lena released her hold of him and he fell limply to the ground succumbing to the blackness that beckoned, a trail of blood trickling down his ears.  
  
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	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: You guys are just amazing! I seriously had given up on this story and a few months on I'm still getting reviews asking me to continue!!!! It is because of this and this alone that I am posting this chapter. To all that have reviewed I'd like to thank you all soooo much for your support. This story would have been a dead end without you and that's the truth. I've made this chapter a little bit longer than my usual chapters cos you all so deserve it for being so patient. This one is for all of you guys, hope you enjoy it...  
  
p.s Just a reminder that this is set sometime in the first season where Emma was still around. Apologies in advance to all Brennan fans cos I've made him out to be a bit mean in this one but I think I sorta had to to bring out this particular storyline. So don't be too mad okay...  
  
CHAPTER ELEVEN  
  
Sanctuary  
  
"Emma!!" Shalimar cried out as she saw the psionic jerk violently backwards and fall to the floor unconscious. Adam and Brennan were already by her side. After checking her breathing, Adam motioned for her to be brought to the med bay for a more thorough check up.  
  
"Here, give her this. Adam said to Shalimar handing her a bottle of ointment. Taking it, Shalimar lifted Emma's head allowing her to inhale the strong smell of the ointment. Emma's eyes flickered open and she gave a soft moan as she immediately tried to lift her head.  
  
"Don't. Don't try to move." Shalimar said slowly bringing Emma's head back down on the head rest of the med chair.  
  
"Do you feel okay?" Adam asked concern in his voice.  
  
"Yeah. I think so. My head hurts though. What happened?" Emma asked confused trying to recall the events that led her to the med bay.  
  
"We were hoping you'd tell us." Adam said looking up at Shalimar and Brennan who were hovering worriedly around Emma. "You were trying to get a connection to Jesse and all of a sudden you fell unconscious. Don't you remember anything".  
  
"I.. I.. don't know". Emma said frowning trying hard to recall what just happened. "I remember trying to get the connection and I'm not sure whether I was able to or not but what I do remember is that all of a sudden there was this strong force slamming into me. I don't remember anything after that."  
  
"What do you supposed happened?" Shalimar asked Adam anxiously.  
  
"I'm not sure." Adam answered racking his brain.  
  
"Well, what does it mean? If Emma got a connection doesn't that mean Jesse's still alive???" Shalimar persisted impatiently.  
  
"Well yes, if she did get a connection..." Adam answered, looking at Shalimar her eyes lighting up with hope.  
  
"Well then how do you explain what happened to Emma? What was the force Emma was talking about then?" Brennan queried, curious himself.  
  
"I don't know. It could be anything. It could have been a mental shield he put up as soon as he felt Emma's presence. But to be able to do that with such force, unlikely." Adam said thoughtfully.  
  
"So we're right back where we started." Brennan said slumping down on his seat as he turned to see Shalimar get up from her seat and head out of the lab.  
  
"Where are you going?" he said immediately straightening up again.  
  
"I don't know about you but I'm going to find out what the hell in happening here?" Shalimar said as she walked out of the room.  
  
Warehouse  
  
"Is he dead?" Xavier asked as he looked at the limp form of the molecular at his feet.  
  
"Not yet". Lena answered as she made her way to the main computer console. "If I hadn't pulled out as I did, he probably would have been. I only had time to download some information, but not all. It should be enough for a start though. Just a couple more sessions and you can rid of him for good."  
  
"Excellent." Xavier said as he watched Lena put on the head set she had especially designed to transfer the information she obtained from Jesse into his computer. He had seen it many a times but it never failed to fascinate him. Her gifts were extraordinary and had helped him rise among the ranks as a formidable leader and he found it a most fruitful partnership in more ways than one.  
  
"Lets get straight down to business than." Xavier said motioning for his men.  
  
Sanctuary  
  
"I'm coming with you." Brennan said stepping in front of her as she made her way to the garage.  
  
"I think you've done enough" Shalimar said brushing past him without slowing down her step.  
  
"Shalimar, please." Brennan said falling in step with her. "I know you're angry...You have every right to be and I'm sorry. But please. Don't shut me out. Not now. Jesse may need all the help he can get."  
  
Shalimar paused before she took the keys to her bike. After a split second of deliberation she changed her mind and opted for the keys to the beamer which she threw to Brennan without saying a word.  
  
"So where are we going?" Brennan asked from behind the wheel.  
  
"To the cemetery" Shalimar answered looking out the window.  
  
"But Emma and I have already checked it out." Brennan started in protest but stopped abruptly when Shalimar turned to give him a look which clearly said that she was not in the mood to argue.  
  
"As you wish." Brennan shrugged as he revved up the engine.  
  
Shalimar was angry. She was going crazy with worry about Jesse and Brennan for his part was being a complete jerk.  
  
"What exactly is it about Jesse that you have such a problem with?" Shalimar said after about ten minutes of deafening silence, no longer able to contain herself.  
  
"What? Nothing" Brennan answered surprised by the question. "I don't have a problem with him! It was just the stunt he pulled yesterday." Brennan said as he glanced over at Shalimar. "You've got to admit it was downright careless of him and it could have gotten you killed."  
  
"Well than shouldn't I be the one giving him the hard time?" Shalimar said.  
  
"Well yeah. Actually you should, Adam should, but no one seems to. I don't understand it. Why are you all trying to protect him? He needs to have a little life experience. He doesn't need to be molly cuddled" Brennan said.  
  
"Believe me. He's got plenty of life experience... even more than I thought he did." Shalimar said her voice taking on a distant tone before she continued more feverently. "What I don't understand is where do you get off judging him? I mean you come into this team with all your so called 'life experiences' and street knowledge and you think you're all that." Shalimar continued in full on feral rage. "If you think Jesse's the one slowing us down maybe you should take a step back and look at the big picture. Jesse has been nothing but a good friend and a good team-mate. He's even gone out of his way to save your ass and ours for that matter, numerous times. And the one time he makes a mistake you're all over him. If there is a problem, here, it's not with Jesse. It's with you. Whatever chip you've got on your shoulder, you better get rid of it because that is the only thing slowing us down." Shalimar finished as she stepped out of the vehicle which had stopped in front of the cemetery and slammed the door behind her.  
  
Brennan was seething in anger at Shalimar's words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Shutting off the engine, he quickly opened the door to catch up with Shalimar.  
  
"What the hell are you saying?" Brennan asked angrily.  
  
"What I'm saying is if you could get off of your high horse, maybe things would be a whole lot easier for all of us." Shalimar said as she crossed the road to the cemetery.  
  
Brennan stared at Shalimar as she walked ahead in utter disbelief. "Look." He said running up to catch up with her. "I don't know what exactly it is that you have going on with Jesse. But whatever it is, it's screwing up your judgment big time. I mean he's got you neatly wrapped around his fingers to the point that you can't even see it when he screws up!!" Brennan countered back in anger.  
  
"What? What I have going on with Jesse? What the hell are you talking about? Jesse is like a brother to me." Shalimar said incredulously. "If anything, my judgment is crystal clear. I've known him a lot longer than you have...and by god if you make a quip about my not knowing him because I didn't know he had a sister, I swear I will beat the crap out of you and you'll hurt in places you never knew existed." Shalimar finished as he left Brennan standing in the middle of the cemetery and headed off in a smoldering rage, to look for Eleanor's grave.  
  
Brennan stood there rooted looking at Shalimar as she walked off in fury, trying to process what she was saying. His mind focusing only on a part of what she had said. The most important part as far as he was concerned. There was nothing going on between her and Jesse! He hadn't been sure, but her protectiveness towards Jesse plagued him with an uncertainty that was killing him. But finally, he had gotten the confirmation he wanted.  
  
The relief flooded through him drowning his anger. He had never been so pleased to hear her say the words. Common sense told him that he should still be angry at her outburst and her accusations. Common sense also told him that his focus right now should not be at her confirmation but at their task at hand which was to find Jesse. He just wished he had some more common sense where Shalimar was concerned. He gave himself a mental kick as he regrouped and ran to catch up with Shalimar.  
  
"Shal, look. I don't want to fight." He said as he caught up to the feral. "Let's just do what we need to do here to help Jesse."  
  
"Never thought I would hear you say something smart for once." Shalimar said dryly not totally over her anger.  
  
Trying hard to ignore the retort, Brennan queried "What exactly are we doing here?"  
  
"Looking for something, anything to give us a clue as to what might have happened" Shalimar said kneeling down at Eleanor's grave, reading the inscription still with disbelief at the knowledge that Jesse had kept this from her.  
  
Swallowing her hurt, she quickly turned on her feral senses scouting the grounds for something that Emma and Brennan could have missed earlier.  
  
Jesse slowly opened his eyes trying to brace himself against the assault to his brains as the light flooded his vision. He grimaced in pain as he tried to focus the visions swimming before him. He attempted to lift his head but the excruciating pain that resulted forced him back down to the floor.  
  
The memory of Lena's hands on his face and the image of her eyes appeared before him and he shivered. What struck a fear in his heart however was what he had seen. The strings and strings of data that flowed against the black of her eye. Data that made up his memories, his secrets, his thoughts, his knowledge. She had unlocked his mind and found access to all that she wanted.  
  
He closed his eyes in shame at how easily he had given up the information. His heart went heavy with dread as a familiar sense of guilt settled at the thought of what that information would be used for, the pain he would have caused and the lives he would have ruined...  
  



	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE 

"Brennan look!!" Shalimar called to Brennan as she knelt down to pick up the item she had found.

"What is it?" Brennan asked as she held it up before her.

"It looks like some kind of dart from a dart gun". She said looking at Brennan, her eyes lighting up "Do you suppose...?"

"I don't know, but let's get it back to Adam so we can find out."

Adam turned around to the group that had milled around him waiting anxiously for the results of the test that he had conducted.

"It's definitely Jesse's" he said confirming everyone's suspicion.

There had been a trace of blood at the end of the needle of the dart and he had done a DNA test which he had specifically designed to expedite results.

"There was also a trace of a strong substance commonly used in tranquilizers" he continued.

"So he's alive?" Emma asked as Shalimar and Brennan looked on anxiously.

"Well, we don't know anything for sure yet. But we do know he didn't drive off that cliff and I have a feeling someone went to a lot of trouble to make it look like he did."

The relief on the faces of the Mutant X team members was evident. They still didn't know where he was or who took him and for what, but at least they knew that he could still be alive.

Suddenly, a beeping sound from Adam's computer interrupted them.

"We've got trouble". Adam said looking up from his computer screen. "I just got word that the safe-house on east of 22nd has been breached. Emma, I need you and Brennan to go check on that. And hurry."

Emma and Brennan entered the safe-house cautiously. They had found the door to the safe house broken at its hinges and had cautiously entered looking around. Broken chairs and other pieces of furniture were scattered everywhere indicating a sign of a fight. No one however, was in sight.

"Adam, it's too late". Emma said through her com link. "The safehouse is totally wrecked. Whoever did this is long gone."

"What about the new mutants we had just brought down to the underground that was placed there?" Adam queried anxiously.

"Well there's nobody here. Its either they manage to make their escape or whoever did this has them." Brennan said looking around. "Adam?" Brennan said again not receiving a reply.

"Hold on Brennan." Adam said sounding distracted. "What is going on here?" Brennan heard Adam say in disbelief.

"What is it Adam?" Emma asked through her com link.

"We just received another breach signal from the safe-house in fifth street. I don't know what is going on but someone seems to have gotten a hold of information about our safe-houses. Shalimar and I are going there now. You and Brennan, look around a little more for anything that may give us a clue as to what happened. We'll meet you back in Sanctuary when we're done."

"Where's Shalimar" Brennan asked Adam as he walked into Sanctuary alone. "We received another breach signal whilst we were investigating the 2nd safe-house. I sent her to check it out." Adam explained grimly as he headed straight to his computer terminal.

"Another one?" Brennan said incredulous. "Three safe-houses in one day! What **is **going on here?"

"I don't know. But I don't like it. So far, we've got five mutants unaccounted for. And that's not counting the new mutants in the third safe-house Shalimar's checking."

"How are they getting information about our safe-houses?" Emma asked quizzically.

"I don't know" Adam said typing furiously on his computer. "There is no record of any breach or intrusion into our database. It doesn't make sense."

"We have to think about moving mutants out of the safe-houses. Our security has been compromised. They are not safe there. Brennan I need you and Emma to get on that as soon as possible. I'll give you a list of designated housing above ground that they can be placed."

"How can we be sure that that information hasn't been breach?" Brennan asked.

"We can't. But it's the best move we can take for now until we find out what is happening." Adam said looking up to Brennan from his computer.

"Adam, look at this. I found it at the safe-house." Shalimar said bursting into the lab showing Adam the item she had found at the third safe-house that had been breached.

Adam took the item from Shalimar's hands looking at it intently.

"It's the same one isn't it?" Shalimar asked anxiously. It's the same kind of dart we found at the cemetery right?

"It certainly seems identical." Adam said as he inspected the dart and compared it with the one they had found earlier. "I'll just run a quick test to see whether the substance used is the same one used on Jesse."

Shalimar paced the lab impatiently waiting for the confirmation that she knew was coming.

A few minutes later Adam turned to face Shalimar and nodded grimly.

Whoever had taken Jesse were also responsible for the intrusion on the safe-houses.

The clanging of steal against the metal bars of his cage brought Jesse instantly to the world of the conscious. He tried to bring his hands up to close his ears in an attempt to block out the noise that seemed to translate as an explosion in his head but realized they were still handcuffed behind him.

"Time to wake up!!' Xavier yelled looking at his prisoner curled up in pain on the floor of the cage.

Jesse opened his eyes as the clanging stopped, adjusting once again to the assault of the light.

"I want you to see something" Xavier continued almost gleefully as he made a motion with his hands.

Jesse watched in horror as a small group of men and women were led in handcuffs by the renegade soldiers, outside his cage. He recognized them instantly as the new mutants that had sought refuge in Mutant X's safe-houses.

"This, ladies and gentlemen is the man who is responsible for your being here." He heard Xavier address the group of prisoners with a sickening pleasantness. He swallowed at the words being spoken. "You all have Mr. Kilmartin here to thank for anything that happens to you from here on end." Xavier said with an evil grin as he ordered the prisoners to be taken away.

_No! This couldn't be happening, _he thought as he saw the prisoners being roughly led through the side door of the warehouse. The look in their eyes weighed down at his soul. The look of defeat, anger and of accusation. It was his fault. They were taken because of him. Unable to control the bile that rose in his throat, Jesse wretched the contents of whatever was in his stomach to the cold stone floor as the resounding sound of Xavier's laughter echoed through the warehouse.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN 

"Shalimar. You should get some rest." Emma said as she walked in the computer lab seeing Shalimar typing furiously on the computer.

"I can't. Jesse needs our help." Shalimar said her eyes not leaving the computer screen. "Whoever is responsible for taking him is also responsible for the safe-houses being broken into. I think we can rule out the fact that the new mutants that were taking shelter in the safe-houses are missing because they managed to get away. I think whoever has Jesse also has the mutants. They're using dart guns to capture them so whoever did this wanted them alive. I need to make sure that we find them before that changes." Shalimar said finally looking up at Emma.

Looking at the determined look on the feral's face, Emma decided against arguing. There was no way Shalimar would be able to sleep anyway worrying about Jesse. Neither could she for that matter. Resigning to the fact, she settled down at the computer terminal next to Shalimar looking for something that may give them a clue as to the disappearances.

"Shalimar!" Emma said looking up from her computer. "I don't know whether this means anything. It could be just a freaky coincidence but you've got to take a look at this."

Shalimar got up from her seat and walked over to Emma's terminal. Displayed on the screen was a supply schedule listing down the safe-houses that each of the Mutant X members were responsible for to maintain supplies.

"It's our supply schedule". Shalimar said frowning, wondering why Emma thought this to be of significance.

"Yeah, but look". Emma said pointing to the screen. "This column here lists down the safe-houses that Jesse is responsible for. Look again at the first three safe-houses in his supply route."

Shalimar gave a sharp intake of breath as she saw what Emma was getting at. The first three safe-houses on Jesse's supply route were the three safe-houses that were broken into.

"So what does that mean?" Brennan asked as he and Adam were informed of the girls' findings. "That Jesse was the one that gave them information about our safe-houses?" he queried.

"Even if he was the one that somehow gave them the information about the safe-houses, you can be sure it was not given voluntarily." Shalimar said with an angry glare at Brennan, not liking the accusatory innuendo of the question

Brennan inwardly winced at Shalimar's retort. He didn't mean it to sound like an accusation. He knew Jesse would not willingly give up such information especially not when the lives of other mutants were at stake. Granted he may have a lot to learn about his molecular teammate, but he knew him well enough to know that Jesse would never willingly jeopardize the lives of other innocent mutants.

"Seven mutants in one day!" Jesse heard Xavier say to Lena as he silently watched Xavier going through whatever it was he had on his computer from his cage "and this is only the beginning!" Xavier continued rubbing his hands together.

"I think we should lie low a bit." Lena suggested as Xavier turned towards her away from the computer screen. "We've already broken into three safehouses today. Maybe a more subtle approach would not raise alarm levels and buy us some more time."

"What? And risk waning interest?" Xavier replied in disbelief. "Just look at this list of buyers." Xavier said motioning to the lit screen. "Demand is at an all time high. I don't know how long this level of interest is going to last but I'm certainly going to make sure I reap the benefits for as long and as much as I can." Xavier finished as his gaze moved to the cage at the centre of the warehouse and its mutant prisoner that seemed to be in deep sleep.

"Tomorrow, we will continue our raid on the other safe-houses in the list. We've got no time to lose. We have to finish off that list before Mutant X has an opportunity to step up security or to do anything about it. Right now, they're probably still wondering what hit them." Xavier added smugly.

"I really don't think that it's wise to underestimate Mutant X." Lena said looking on. Xavier was a man with great vision and power. But one thing he was not was patient. When we wanted something, he wanted it now. Lena hoped that that attitude wouldn't lead to his downfall.

"Let me worry about the strategy. You just concentrate on getting all the information we need from our friend Mr. Kilmartin over there". Xavier said nodding his head to Jesse's cage. "It's just a matter of time before we move to the next phase of the plan."

_No. He couldn't let it happen. _Jesse thought with fear. He remembered again the look on the faces of the mutants that were captured. He could not give them any more information. He had done enough damage. He looked around at the warehouse and the guards who were on duty. A head count showed that there were too many for him to take on. Not without his powers. But he had to try something. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let them get more information from him.

"No". Adam said looking up from the computer screen. "Not after what happened the last time."

"Come on Adam. We know he may still be alive. Just let me try to get a connection. Maybe we can find out where he is." Emma urged.

"No". Adam said again shaking his head as he turned around in his seat to face Emma. "We don't know what happened to you the last time and until we do, we have no idea what we're up against. That's one risk we can't afford right now." Adam finished as a blinking signal on the computer screen caught his attention.

"Well we've got to do something." Emma said beginning to pace, oblivious to Adam's distraction. "We can't just sit here waiting for them to make the next move." She finished with a tone of exasperation.

"It looks like we don't have to." Adam said his attention fixed on the blinking screen in front of him.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked curious as she stopped her pacing and went to the computer terminal.

"Look" Adam said motioning to the screen. "It's another breach signal."

"Quick, pass me the list of Jesse's supply schedule you printed last night, over on that table." Adam said as Emma went to retrieve the list and handed it to him. "Unbelievable!" he commented as he looked from the list to the information on the screen. "It's the forth safe-house on the list."

"I'll call Brennan and Shalimar so we can go there now." Emma said grabbing the list as she headed hurriedly out the door.

"Emma wait." Adam said stopping her before she was out of the room. "Don't go there".

"What? Are you crazy?? This is our chance to get the guys who have Jesse. "We can't just sit here whilst... "Emma" Adam said interrupting her outburst. "Just listen. There's only one other safe-house on that list. I want you to go to that safe-house. By the time you reach the fourth safe-house, chances are it'll be too late. If my guess is true, they'll be aiming to finish the list as soon as possible. Just do it okay. And .. take these." Adam added as he went over to retrieve something from his worktable and handed it to Emma. "Be careful."

'Sir. We're at the safehouse now. No one's here. Everything has been cleared." Xavier heard the voice crackling over his com line.

"Damnit." Xavier said banging his fist on the table. "Where's the 2nd team?" he asked.

"They're already headed out to the last safehouse on the list you gave us sir."

"I want you to go there now. If Mutant X is on to us, they might be stepping into a trap." Damn that Adam Kane, Xavier thought still seething in anger. He was ruining his plans. Lena was right. He did underestimate Mutant X. Adam Kane definitely knew how to stay in the game, he acknowledged with grudging respect.

Well it looks like they just signed the death warrant of one of their own because this meant that they had to move on with their next phase of the plan a lot sooner than expected.

"Lena!" Xavier yelled just as Lena walked into the warehouse. "I need you to do it now! We've got no time to waste. Remember, every ounce of information you can get and don't stop until you get it all! Start with where Sanctuary is located!" he said motioning for his men to get the prisoner out.

This was it. Jesse thought as he heard the order. He had to do something and he had to do it now. He took in several deep breaths to calm himself down. Here goes nothing, he thought as his cage door creaked open.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN 

"Looking for something?" Brennan said from the entrance of the safe-house at the four renegades who were busy searching the interior.

Startled, the men drew into position ready for a fight.

Brennan saw one thug draw a weapon from the corner of his eye and immediately let loose a coil of electricity instantly knocking the gun away before swiftly jumping down over the top railing landing on the renegade who fell heavily to the floor.

Shalimar, without missing a beat executed a graceful somersault, landing softly behind a thug. Tapping his shoulders lightly she gave a charming smile as he turned around confused only to have a dazzling turning kick send him crashing against the side wall.

Emma sent a psionic blast at the other two renegades before they could even reach for their weapons, knocking them senseless.

Pulling his opponent to his feet, Brennan slammed the guy against the wall as he held the collar of his shirt. "Who do you work for and what did you do with our friend?" He asked menacingly, slamming the renegade against the wall once again knocking the wind out of him as he refused to answer.

"Let me handle this". Shalimar said as she pushed Brennan aside and with a feral gleam of her eye grabbed the man by the shoulders and backhanded him across the jaw drawing blood. "What did you do to Jesse???" she asked ready to pounce again if no answer was forthcoming.

"Shalimar look out" she heard and barely had time to turn around as a bullet suddenly whizzed past her head missing it by inches. More array of bullets followed as the 3 mutants leapt behind furniture and walls to take cover.

"Brennan, do something! They're getting away." Shalimar exclaimed as she saw the renegades get up groggily and headed for the exit where their fellow renegades stood firing their weapons mercilessly to keep the mutants at bay.

Brennan lighted up a tesla coil and peeked from behind the pillar he was taking cover from to find an opportune moment to throw it at the soldiers. He cursed loudly as immediately, a slew of bullets hit the pillar forcing him back to take cover.

Just as suddenly, the attack ceased and he saw Shalimar with amazing speed come out from behind her hiding place and running up the stairs leading to the entrance determined to catch the renegades before they got away. Immediately, he took after her only to see two cars drive off with their tires screeching.

"Come on. We can still catch them." Shalimar said urgently as she ran to the beamer.

"Shalimar." Brennan said trying to calm her down. "They're gone."

"We got to catch them." She said almost frantic. "They have Jesse!"

"Shalimar" Emma said from behind them. "Brennan's right. They're gone." Seeing Shalimar about to voice a protest, she continued, "But don't worry. Adam gave me a tracking device that I planted on one of the men. We better get back to Sanctuary now so we can track where they're headed to." She said entering the beamer as the others followed quickly behind.

Jesse allowed the two soldiers who grabbed him to push him along without putting up any resistance. He looked around biding his time waiting for the right opportunity. Feeling the hands holding him lax due to his cooperation, he decided it was now or never.

Mustering up his energy, he pulled his knee up and with as much force as he could gather, brought his foot down hard on the foot of the man holding him on his left, following it immediately with a sharp head slam to the man on his right. As both man doubled over in pain, Jesse got out of their grasp and let out a swift side kick to the solar plexus of the man with the injured foot sending him stumbling backwards falling hard on his back. Without wasting time he brought his other leg up to deliver a hard axe kick to the head of the other guy slamming him to the floor.

Taking a deep breath, he executed a swift jump through his bound hands bringing them in front of him and immediately followed it with a gymnast roll as he reached over for the gun of one of the man he had downed.

Getting to his feet, he pointed the gun in front of him only to see a dozen or so soldiers surrounding him with their guns trained directly at him. He turned around, his eyes darting across the warehouse, his heart sinking as he saw that he was surrounded.

"Stay back!!" he yelled not willing to give up without a fight. He turned abruptly, with every movement he saw from the corner of his eye, retraining his aim. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ear and he held on tighter to the gun in his hands as he felt his palms beginning to sweat.

"Now, now, Mr Kilmartin. Don't do anything stupid. There's a whole lot of us and only one of you." Xavier said shaking his head as he appeared from behind the circle of soldiers. "We don't want anyone to get hurt do we? Now put the gun down."

"Not a chance. You're not getting anything more from me!" Jesse yelled back as the soldier's inch closer.

"Face it Mr. Kilmartin, there's no escape. You have about what, six bullets in that gun of yours? Look around you, we're triple that number. Don't make this any harder on all of us." Xavier said motioning for his man to get closer.

"Stay back!! Jesse yelled as he turned around frantically, waving his gun at the circle of soldiers as they inched closer. He looked around him with a gut wrenching realization that Xavier was right. There was no escape.

He shook his head at the futility of the situation. No!! He was not going to give in that easily. There was no way he was going to be used to get more information. There was just no way. He couldn't let Xavier succeed with his plans and he knew Xavier couldn't succeed without him.

With a sudden clarity, he knew what he had to do...

With eerie calmness, he released the safety of the gun and closed his eyes as he brought it under his chin and slowly pulled the trigger...


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: No freaking way. I was checking my e-mail and all of a sudden I got this review alert which was weird cos I hadn't written anything. It turned out that it was for this story even though I had stopped writing it one and a half years ago! Gosh. I do hate myself sometimes. I always let things consume me that I don't stop to take a breather every now and again to do the things that I really like to do like writing this story for instance. Its okay you can hate me too. I deserve it. There were a lot of people who were following this story that I've been totally unfair to. Some may not still visit this storyboard but wherever you are, please accept my humblest apologies. May seem insubstantial now, but here's an update…

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"Damn mutants!" Xavier yelled in anger as he kicked the limp body of the molecular at his feet. He was outraged by the mutant turning the tables on him and his plans. Kneeling down he snatched the gun away from Jesse's flaccid hands and stood up and pointed it to the two renegades soldiers that had allowed Jesse's attempted escape.

"I **DO NOT **tolerate negligence" he said menacingly to the cowering soldiers and fired two clean shots to the forehead before they could even reply. He watched their bodies fall with an angry smirk as the rest of the renegades stared in horrified silence at their fallen comrades. "Get them out of my sight" he ordered with a flick of his wrist not able to look at the dead renegades without the sight fueling his anger.

"And you Mr. Kilmartin" he said turning to the motionless body before him, "how utterly noble to sacrifice yourself to save others" he said with repulsion in his voice. "But not on my watch. I dictate the terms! **You die when I say you die**!" He said aiming a forceful kick to the inert body of the mutant before him.

Reaching down to take the tranquilizer dart lodged at the back of Jesse's neck he barked an order for his men to take Jesse back to his cage. "And don't forget to give him another shot of the immobilizer to make sure his powers don't come back anytime soon!" he shouted at the retreating figures.

"Damn!" he swore watching his men drag Jesse's unconscious form back to his cage. The young molecular had almost ruined his plans. One of his men had saw an opening as Jesse was about to pull the trigger and had hit him with a tranquilizer dart just in time. If the blasted mutant had died, he would have had to start all over again, he thought still fuming in anger. He had half a mind to kill the bloody mutant himself, but not without getting what he wanted first. Jesse was essential to his second phase of his plans and he was not about to throw that away. They had come too far to start over now. As it is, their plan would have to be delayed for a couple of hours until the mutant regained his consciousness enough to be in the right state of mind for the second extraction. For now he acknowledged grudgingly that he would have to wait. But once he got what he needed he swore that the mutant would pay dearly for his actions.….

_At sanctuary_

"We got a fix on a location. It's an abandoned warehouse about thirty miles on the outskirts of town. Take the helix and head there right now. In the mean time I'll see whether I can get the blue prints of the building and area and patch it through to you." Adam said to his team as the transmitter on the screen finally indicated that the renegade had reached the destination he was headed and was no longer on the move.

"We're going into stealth mode" Brennan said as he neared the sector where the warehouse was located.

"There it is!" Shalimar pointed out as the warehouse came into view. "Let's look for a place to land this thing."

"Wait. Let's not jump into this. We don't know what we're up against" Emma said trying to bring reason into the midst as she saw that Shalimar was practically off of her seat anxious to go in and rescue Jesse.

"Emma's right" Brennan put in. "Here's the blue prints Adam patched through that'll give us an idea of the entry and exit points of the warehouse, and then we'll do a thermal scan of the warehouse area to try and figure our Jesse's location and the number of unfriendlies we've got to take down."

Jesse groaned as he slowly opened his eyes fighting against the onslaught of light. He was still alive. Closing his eyes again, he didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. He just wanted this to be over. Whatever the means.

Suddenly a loud explosion blasted into the stillness of his thoughts. The warehouse became a bevy of activities. Renegades were instantly rushing out of the warehouse to check the source of the explosion.

"Now!" Shalimar yelled at Emma who immediately opened the main water gauge of the hose that Shalimar was holding. All the renegades that had come out to check on the exploding vehicle outside the warehouse were instantly drenched in a strong jetspray of water.

"They're all yours Brennan" Shalimar shouted as she jumped on to the roof of a nearby vehicle and watched as a tesla coil was thrown into the midst of soaking soldiers who fell convulsing before succumbing to unconsciousness.

Fighting against the pain that coursed through his body, Jesse struggled to his feet heavily leaning against the bars of his cage. He felt a sudden lurch of hope as he saw a familiar sight bursting through the doors of the warehouse kicking down two renegades in the process. "Shalimar!" he said barely believing his eyes. They'd come for him.

"Jesse!" He turned startled at the voice right behind him. "Emma, thank god!" he said in relieve his voice coming out as a mere whisper. "Are you okay?" the psionic looked at him through concerned eyes as she opened the lock to his cage with the bunch of keys from the guard she had just downed. "I will be as soon as I get out of here" he said wincing in pain as he stumbled out of his metal prison.

"Turn around" Emma said as she quickly opened his metal handcuffs, trying to be gentle as she saw how horribly scraped and bloody his wrists had become. Shaking her head, she was just glad he was still alive. "Did they put a subdermal on you?" Emma asked quickly scanning his neck and finding none. "Good. Quick, we've got to get you out of here." She said allowing Jesse to lean on her as they made their way to the nearest exit.

A fierce battle was raging between Shalimar, Brennan and the remaining renegades. It seemed that they had managed to down several renegade soldiers and was certainly getting the upper hand in the battle with the element of surprise working on their side.

From the corner of his eye, Jesse saw a figure make his way slowly to an unguarded exit with a laptop tucked under his arms. "Emma" he said bringing the psionic to a stop. "Xavier." He said pointing to the figure and immediately clutched his sides in pain with the assertion of his movements. "You've got to stop him. The…the computer, don't let him take it with him."

"You stay put. I'll go after him" Emma said as she set him down behind a pile of crates. "Be careful" Jesse said wincing as the movement caused a sliver of pain to run through his sides.

In the middle of the warehouse, Brennan and Shalimar were ferociously locked in battle as they took on one soldier after the other. A glint of metal from the second level of the warehouse suddenly caught Jesse's attention. He looked in horror as he saw a gun being pointed at Brennan who was seemingly preoccupied with his current battle. Jesse's heart began to race as he watched the soldier take aim. NO! BRENNAN! WATCH OUT!" he yelled in panic trying to get Brennan's attention above the loud chaos of the raging battle.

God no! He watched helplessly as Brennan fought on oblivious to the danger. He had to warn him. Mustering up whatever energy he had left and fighting against his protesting body, Jesse got up from his hiding place and broke into a run as he screamed a warning to Brennan.

Above the din of the battle in the warehouse, Brennan faintly heard his name being called. He turned to see Jesse running towards him glancing every now and again to the level above him. At once he saw the glint of metal from the nozzle of a rifle pointed in his direction. As if in slow motion, he saw Jesse flinging himself across him as the soldier pulled the trigger. Brennan quickly lighted up a tesla coil and threw it at the soldier catching him squarely on the chess as he lost his balance against the second tier railing and tumbled down to the crates below.

Turning back around, he held his hand out to help Jesse up. "Thanks man" Brennan said genuinely relieved to see Jesse and his quick actions. When no reply came from Jesse, Brennan moved closer and was taken aback to see a pool of blood beginning to spread out on the floor around him.

"Oh my god Jesse" Brennan said quickly falling to his knees and turning the molecular over as a large bullet wound on Jesse's chest from where blood was flowing freely immediately came into view. "Oh God" Brennan said gently lifting Jesse's head into his arms, his hands shaking as he inspected the damage.

"JESSE! NO!" Shalimar cried as both her and Emma rushed to their fallen friend having witness the scene from where they had been locked in battle. "Is he okay?" she asked as she knelt down beside Brennan and the fallen molecular and immediately gasped in pure horror as she saw all the blood around her. "No!" she said as a sob escaped her. "Please God no! Shalimar said as she looked into Jesse's pale face, tears streaming down her face "Please don't die on us" she whispered as she stroked the young molecular's hair.

"I don't know what happened." Brennan said meeting Shalimar's teary gazed, himself still stunned as he cradled Jesse's limp body. "Why didn't he mass? I, I thought he massed" Brennan said shaking his head as he put his hands on Jesse's wound desperately trying to stop the blood from flowing.

With her own tears streaking, Emma watched helplessly at the scene before her as blood seeped through Brennan's fingers and as Jesse's life slowly ebbed from his body.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN 

"Put him on the table quick" Adam said as his team burst through the doors of the med bay with Brennan carrying what seemed to be the lifeless body of the molecular.

Leaning down to check on Jesse's breathing, Adam let out a breath of relieved as he realized that the molecular still had a pulse. Leaping into action, he quickly stripped Jesse of his shirt, and wasted no time hooking him up to various machines with the aid of the other mutants.

"Brennan, go to the med supply room and get me whatever liters of blood supply we have of Jesse's, now! He's still with us but his pulse is weak. He's lost too much blood." Adam said as he examined the gaping wound on Jesse's chest trying to contain the bleeding. Adam shook his head as he discovered that the bullet had nicked an artery in the molecular's heart and was still lodged precariously in the molecular. They needed to get the bullet out and they needed to get it out now before it moved its way around and caused more damage. Adam said a silent prayer that the molecular would be able to withstand the surgery in his weak state.

The med bay was a bevy of activity as everyone worked feverishly to assist Adam. It had been a miracle that Jesse had made it back to Sanctuary alive although they very nearly lost him a couple of times during the journey back. Brennan had taken the helix to speeds that were never tested, and if there was any way that he could be saved they were determined to do it. They worked silently as the weak but constant beeping of the heart monitor fed them hope that the molecular might actually make it through this.

There was silence in the room as Adam carefully made his first incision on Jesse's chest. Adam grimaced as a steady stream of blood flowed from the cut knowing that there was not much more blood that Jesse could afford to lose. Signaling for Emma to wipe the blood, he went deeper until he finally reached the tip of the precariously lodged bullet. Taking a deep breath, and trying hard to control his hands from shaking, Adam slowly retracted the bullet.

Inch by inch the bullet slowly made its way out of its position. Adam and the rest of the mutants were about to let out a breath of relief when suddenly the final removal of the bullet was followed by a spurt of blood uncontrollably gushing from the wound.

"We've got trouble", Adam said, as he quickly motioned Shalimar to suction the blood so that he could get a clearer view of the damage the bullet had caused. "Blood pressure's dropping" Brennan said worriedly.

"There's a tear in the artery caused by the bullet. Every time the heart pumps blood he'll bleed out. I've got to go in and close it up now or we'll lose him." Adam said quickly reaching for his suture kit.

"Hurry Adam, he's losing too much blood too quickly. Pulse is dangerously weak and pressure still dropping." Emma said almost on the verge of tears.

"This is not gonna work." Adam stepped back after a while shaking his head, suture still in hand. "I can't get a clear enough view of the wound to go in and close it up. All the blood is obstructing everything. I can't go in if I can't see what I'm doing. I might cause more damage." Adam said frustrated as he threw down the suture kit on the pan in front of him and turned to Brennan. "Brennan, listen carefully. You're the only one who can do this. I need you to shoot a well aimed tesla coil right where the bleeding is, just enough to burn the surrounding tissues so that the cut will close up"

"What? Are you crazy Adam?" Brennan said shaking his head. "The wrong amount of power would kill him. I, I don't think I can do this.." Brennan stammered, horror evident in his expression at the thought that Jesse's life or death would very much depend on his control of his powers.

Suddenly, they were all interrupted by the continuous resounding beep of the heart monitor.

"Oh God! He's flat lined!" Shalimar exclaimed. "Do something!"

"Now Brennan!" Adam said as he suctioned whatever blood was surrounding the heart that had now stopped pumping, enough to give Brennan a clear view of the tear. "Remember just a slight zap to the surrounding tissue. Come on you can do it!"

After a slight hesitation, Brennan took a deep breath and said a silent prayer as he fired up a small tesla coil on his index finger and aimed it at the tear.

"I got it! He said as he quickly inspected the tissue that had seared just enough to close up the tear in the artery.

"Okay good Brennan! Now lets bring him back and quickly" Adam said as everyone cleared away from Jesse whilst Brennan gave a zap that was enough to make the body of the molecular jerk upwards. All eyes went to the heart monitor as the continuous resounding beep indicated no activity. "Come on Jesse" Brennan said as he fired up another tesla coil and repeated the process.

Shalimar who was standing at the side of Jesse's bed watched as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Please, please Jesse comeback" she whispered as Brennan threw yet another tesla coil at the inert form of the molecular.

Everyone watched in silent prayer as Brennan repeatedly threw a tesla coil at Jesse's body willing his heart to beat again.

Suddenly there was a jump in the beeping of the heart monitor followed by another, and another….

Emma who had both hands cupped at her mouth looked at Adam in almost disbelief as Adam quickly instructed Brennan to stop and inspected Jesse's vitals. "We have him back" Adam said, relieved clearly evident in his voice, as he assessed the tear that Brennan cauterized and saw that it was holding in blood that was now slowly being pumped by Jesse's heart. Satisfied, he set to work to close up the wound.

Emma took the breath she had been holding and let her tears finally fall freely as she hugged the also crying Shalimar as Brennan looked on with both hands on his head and taking deep breaths, clearly exhausted at the effort it took to jumpstart Jesse's heart.

"He's very very weak" Adam said as he took off his surgical gloves and joined the others at the viewing room outside the medical bay. "It's a miracle we got him back. He hardly has a pulse and his blood pressure is dangerously low. His brain went without oxygen for a good few minutes and there's no telling what effect that has on him now. The next 24 hours will be vital." He said grimly as the rest of the Mutant x team listened with worried faces glancing every now and again at the molecular that lay in the med bay with countless wires and equipment hooked up to his pallid form. "The only thing we can do now is pray" he said as he left the team to go clean up and change from his blood splattered clothes.

Shalimar went back into the med bay and took Jesse's limp hands and sat next to him determined to maintain a vigil as she listened to the slow beeping of the monitors. Brennan and Emma watched the scene from outside each deep in their own thoughts.

It had been a very close call and they were still not out of the woods yet. The events that happened that day kept replaying in Brennan's head. He shook his head as he tried to make sense out of it.

"Adam said his body had a foreign substance that suppressed his mutant abilities. That's why he couldn't just phase and get out of there" Brennan said repeating Adam's findings that he had reported to them earlier as much to himself as to Emma who was standing behind him as he leaned on the glass walls of the medical bay. "Jesse would have known that right? If not, why didn't he try to escape earlier or at least get out of his cuffs?" Brennan said as he continued to rationalize the events that had transpired. "He, he must have forgot" Brennan said. "I think his adrenaline just took over and he simply forgot. I mean he's so used to stepping in front of a bullet it must be like second nature to him that when he jumped between me and the bullet, he, he must have just forgotten about the suppressor." Brennan finished, his eyes never leaving Jesse's unconscious body.

Emma who had been sitting on a stool behind Brennan slowly got up and walked towards him at the med bay window, eyes still on Jesse as she stopped beside Brennan and said "He didn't forget".

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. Really appreciate it. There's even some familiar names. What can I say, you guys rock!

Here's another installment but please don't be too overly critical okay cos I know absolutely nothing about medicine and surgery. Just writing this for fun and please drop a review if you like it :-)


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